The resilience of the everyman is explored in “The Dog Who Wouldn’t Be Quiet,” Ana Katz‘s beautiful black and white film that chronicles how a life changes over the years. Bringing humor, sadness, heart, and a little dash of sci-fi, Katz and co-writer Gonzalo Delgado tell a story about transformation in a world that always seems to be changing.

Sebastian (Daniel Katz) loves his loyal dog, Rita. After he brings her to the office one day to appease his neighbors who are tired of hearing her canine cries while he’s at work, Sebastian is fired. He and his furry companion pack up to go work on a farm so they can live as they please. But after an accident (which is told through sorrowful hand-drawn animation), Sebastian finds himself homeless and all alone. The story follows the man throughout the years, as he takes a variety of temporary jobs.

The film’s run time may be short (73 minutes), but Katz’s storytelling is observational, and she takes her time detailing every nuance. It’s this sensitive direction that makes everything from a forgotten sandwich on a public bus to the joy of a dog’s ears brushed by the wind suddenly have a deeper meaning.

While the first half of the film is terrific, the ending heads off the rails a bit. There’s a weird and largely unnecessary segment about a catastrophic event that renders the Earth’s air toxic and causes a pandemic. I guess you can say that Sebastian, now a father and back working in an office environment, was already having difficulty catching his breath.

“The Dog Who Wouldn’t Be Quiet” is a beautiful film through and through, even when it doesn’t work as well as you’d hope.